HFF PARTNERS WITH BRUSHWOOD CENTER TO EXPAND ACCESS TO NATURE AND THE ARTS THROUGHT A $2.5M GIFT

Advancing Health and Well-Being, Equity, and Sustainability through the Outdoors

On April 23, 2025, the Hunter Family Foundation (HFF) announced a transformational gift of $2.5 million to the Brushwood Center at Ryerson Woods—the largest contribution in Brushwood’s history. This support will fund the creation of the Maxine M. Hunter Performance Plaza, a new outdoor venue that will dramatically increase access to healing arts and nature-based programs for communities across Lake County and the Chicago region.

The Plaza, named in memory of Maxine M. Hunter, Brushwood’s first board chair, affirms the Center’s commitment to health equity, environmental sustainability, and community resilience. The project is part of a broader expansion of Brushwood Center’s programming at a time when public investment in the environment and the arts is increasingly uncertain.

“We are proud to honor our mother’s legacy with this gift to Brushwood Center—a place that brings inspiration, solace, and joy to our family and the broader community,” said Bill Hunter, Chair and CEO of the Hunter Family Foundation. “We deeply value the connection between nature and art, and we look forward to celebrating and learning together in this beautiful new space.”

Maxine Hunter, a lifelong Lake Forest resident, was deeply committed to art, conservation, and the power of place. She believed Brushwood offered a sense of serenity and awe, once reflecting, “I work on things that are important to me: art, nature, conservation. We should be supportive of the community we live in, to make the world a better place.”

Designed as a three-season, open-air space four times the size of the current structure, the new Plaza will support a wider range of programs for veterans, children, families, and adults. It will also incorporate sustainable features, including solar panels to power technology and events, and a rainwater collection system to irrigate native plantings and surrounding healing gardens. The space will offer a seamless transition between indoor and outdoor environments, supporting Brushwood’s mission to promote wellness through creativity, connection, and nature.

“We are grateful to the Hunter Family Foundation for this transformative gift that will enable Brushwood Center to expand access to nature for our neighbors and communities through the arts, healing, and education,” said Catherine Game, Executive Director of Brushwood Center. “In honoring the legacy of Maxine Hunter, the Foundation underscores the critical importance of local commitment to community organizations—especially at a time when federal support is shrinking.”

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